Production of alcohols



JEVAPA TOR 7 Ric/1 fixmncr J June 6, 1944. w. J. KERNS ETAL 2,350,558

PRODUCTION OF ALCOHOLS Filed Jan. 1, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OLE FIN LIMA SPENT GAS ABSOZBZV ABSORBfiR June 6, 1944- w. J. KERNS ETAL 2,350,558

PRODUCTION OF ALCOHOLS Filed Jan. 1, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AC D LI E .sarmnd TQR eon/W22 TE R Pkovu: 7'

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Patented June 6, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs William J. Kerns, Railway, and Helmuth G. Schneider, Roselle, N. .L, assignors to Standard Alcohol Company, a corporation of Delaware Application January 1, 1942, Serial No. 425,380

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in the process for the production of olefin extracts. Alcohols and other compounds such as ethers etc. are formed from the olefins contained in the various refinery gases and naphthas by hydrating the olefins either in the liquid or gaseous phase with sulfuric acid. The present invention deals particularly with the vapor phase reaction. It has been the practice for some time to perform this vapor phase absorption of olefin in sulfuric acid in the presence of a contact medium such as a liquid parafiinic oil. The reaction is carried out in an absorption tower, a mixture of oil and acid in the ratio of from 1 to 5 parts by volume of oil per part by volume of sulfuric acid being conducted into the top of the tower and the vaporous hydrocarbons containing olefinic hydrocarbons being conducted into the bottom of the tower and permitted to fiow up through the mixture of oil and acid to an outlet at the top of the tower. It has been contended on behalf of the use of an inert hydrocarbon oil as the contact medium in olefin absorption that better contact between the absorption medium and the olefin and therefore a better absorption is secured thereby. Since the most efficient operation of such a process depends upon obtaining a maximum rate of absorption of olefin with the acids and also obtaining a maximum absorption of olefins per unit of acid, it is obvious that any process which would enhance the absorption of olefins per unit quantity of acids would be very beneficial. It is an object of the present invention to secure a more eificient procass for the production of acid extracts from olefin hydrocarbons by producing a more highly saturated acid extract.

Contrary to the prior belief, it has now been found that the presence of parafiinic oils in the absorption medium prevents the production of a completely saturated extract in the vapor phase process of absorbing olefins as illustrated by the following results where a pure olefin was absorbed in identical concentrations of sulfuric acid at constant temperature and pressure, but with and without the presence of a paraflinic oil. The results are expressed as molar concentrations of olefin per mol of sulfuric acid.

Extract saturation With oil mixed with the absorption me= dium 1.32

Absorption medium without oil 1.46

the acid extract which is to say that the oil has its greatest effectiveness at low extract saturations and its effect decreases progressively with increasing extract saturation reaching a. minimum at the concentration of approximately .8 to 1 mol of olefin per mol of sulfuric acid after which its presence becomes distinctly detrimental in that it retards the rate of olefin absorption and prevents the obtainance of a saturated extract under the conditions of temperature, pressure, acid concentration and percentage olefin in the feed stock existing in the absorber.

The rate at which olefins are absorbed by an absorption medium is best expressed as the quotient (K=absorption constant) obtained by dividing the number of cubic feet of olefin absorbed by the product of the number representing the average olefin concentration, time in hours and number of cubic feet of absorption medium. Thus V a.t. V =K p n constan V=cubic feet of olefin absorbed a=average olefin concentration t=time in hours V'=cubic feet of absorption medium In this formula the higher absorption constants denote a more rapid rate of olefin absorption.

In order to determine the optimum oil-acid ratio as well as the general eifect of the oilacid ratio upon the absorption of olefins, a series of tests using varying amounts of oil in the acid absorption medium under the following conditions were run:

Absorption conditions Saturation of feed extract 0.403 40 Acid strength of feed acid per cent- 88 Temperature -C 20 Olefin content of C4 naphtha per cent.. 13.3 Pressure Atmospheric Saturation Line v 10d 1 Ab u Volume 011 volume acid of e x gact g' g izgg absorber No oil 0. 454 4. 14 on... 0.49:; 4.2; 3% o 0.054 4.2:; 9.15 0.025 4.33 7.12 0. 020 4.30 5.04

These tests indicate that for the absorption of 6B olefins in an acid medium, an oil-acid ratio of at C3 hydrocarbons using sulfuric acid of from 50 to least 1:1 should be maintained where the extract saturation is low.

Having determined the most favorable oilzacid ratio the tests were continued using a more concentrated extract as the absorption medium, varying the rate at which the olefins were introduced into the absorber and at atmospheric and 15 lbs/sq. in. gauge pressure to show the effect of oil on the extraction of secondary butylenes from C4 naphtha. with the following results:

Absorption conditions Saturation of feed extract 1.050 Acid strength per cent 88 Secondary olefin content of feed naphtha i e per cent. 32 Temperature C 25 ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 2 Linear 52 222? velocity of Absorption out gas through constant K absorption No oil 1.108 8.1 0.08 1 volume oilzl volume acid-.. 1. 063 7. 3 0. 016 No oil 1.135 20. 3 0. 28 1 volume 011:1 volume acid. 1. 103 22 8 0. 18 0 l. 141 52. 1 0.75 1 volume oil:1 volume acid.. 1.065 50. 4 0. 13

15 LBSJSQ. IN. (GAUGE) PRESSURE No oil. l 1.290' 10.2 0.83 1 vol e oilzl volume acid.. 1. 258 10. 4 0. 71 No 011 l. 2% l9. 9 1.17 1 volume oilzl volume acid.. 1. 162 27. 3 0. 92 0 oil 1.150 51. 6 1. 74 1 volume 011:1 volume acid.. l. 105 35. 6 0. 68

Similar results have been secured in the absorption of propylene from mixtures of C2 and 92% acid as the absorption medium at atmospheric pressure and 25 C.

as is shown below:

In the accompanying drawings Figure I illusv trates in diagrammatic manner an apparatus adapted to carry out the process disclosed herein and Figure 11 is a modification thereof.

Referring to Figure. I, olefin from any convenient source is introduced through pipe I into absorber 2, which is a tower of either the packed or bubble plate type, where the olefin comes in contact with the absorption medium which is of diminishing saturation as the top'of the tower is approached. The olefin leaves absorber 2 through pipe '3 from which it is introduced into absorber 4, which is a contact tower of thebubble plate type, where the olefin contacts a mixture of parafiln oil, acid and extractor l'ow saturation. The spent gas is removed from absorber 4 through outlet pipe 5. The absorption medium, usually 95% acid concentration,'depending upon the type of oIefin to be absorbed; is introduced into the top or absorber 4 through pipe :8 together with from 1 to 3 volumes of oil per volume of -a'cid, the oil being introduced into the top of absorber 4 through pipe 1.

equipped with draw-oil lines 8 providing outlets for a suflicient number of individual plates that the mixture of extract and oil can be withdrawn from the absorber at the point where the presence of the oil no longer exerts a beneficial effect. The mixture of oil and weak acid extract passes through outlet 8 into separator 9. In the separator the oil and acid extract are permitted to stratify, the upper layer of 011 being returned to the top of absorber A through pipe I. The weak extract which forms the bottom layer in the separator is pumped through line 10 to the top of absorber 2 where it becomes saturated for the temperature and pressure conditions maintained within the tower by countercurrent contact with additional olefin. The saturated extract is removed from absorben2 and passed through pipe II to convertor (where the extract is processed to produce the desired product and recovered acid. The recovered acid may or may not, as necessity dictates, be reconditioned prior to recycling to absorber 4 through line 6. One advantage to this type of operation is that the absorption conditions, such as temperature and pressure in towers 2 and 4 need not necessarily be the same.

Referring to Figure 11 olefin enters absorber l4 through pipe l3 passing upwardly through the tower in contact with absorption medium to be eventually removed from the tower through pipe IS. The tower i4 is a bubble plate type of absorption tower. A mixture of absorption medium and oil is introduced into the top of the tower separately through pipes I9 and 20 respectively or as a mixture in one line where the mixture comes in contact with the ascending gases. The tower is equipped with draw-oi! lines 2| on several of the individual plates of the tower. These draw-oil lines are provided to make it convenient to withdraw the mixture of oil, acid, and acid extract at the point where the presence of the oil is no longer beneficial to the absorption of olefin. The mixture is conveyed to separator 22 where the oil and acid extract are separated, the oil being returned to the top of the tower through pipe 20. The acid extract is returned to the tower through line 23 and introduced into the tower on the plate below the plate from which the mixture of oil and acid extract was withdrawn. The acid extract is then contacted with further olefin and is withdrawn from the bot-' tom of the towerin a saturated condition. The saturated extract passes through pipe ii to convertor II where the desired products are recovered and withdrawn through pipe l8. The residual acid from convertor I! either with or without further reconditioning is recycled to the tower through pipe I9.

It will be understood that the process of this invention may be carried out at superatmospheric pressure, the pressure being dependent upon the temperature used for absorption. The

pressure is adjusted to maintain the reacting o1e-.

fin substantially in the vapor phase. 1

What is claimed is:

1. A process for producingsaturated acid extracts which comprises absorbing an olefin in an absorption medium consisting of a mixture of sulfuric acid of from 50 to acid concentration with at least equal parts of a parafflnlc is at least 0.8:1 on 9. mol per mol basis, removing the t oil, until the ratio of olefin to absorbent parafllnic oil and completely saturating the sulfuric acid with olefin. v

2. A process for producing concentrated acid extracts which comprises absorbing butenes in an absorption medium consisting of a mixture of sulfuric acid of from '10 to 95% acid concentration with at least equal parts of a paraflinic oil,

suifm-ic acid of 88% acid concentration with an equal volume oi! paraflinio oil, until the ratio 01' butene toabsorbent is at least 0.8:1 on a mol per mol basis, removing the 0 oil and oompletely saturating the siflmric acid with butene. 4, A process for producing concentrated acid extract which comprises absorbing propylene in an absorption medium consisting oi. a mixture 01' one volume of 85-95% sulfuric acid with three volumes of a paraflinic oil, until the ratio of olefin to absorbent is at least 0.8:1 on a mol per'mol basis, removing the 0 oil and completely saturating the sulfuric acid with propylene.

WILLIAM J. KERNS. mum-n G. scmmmm. 

